Can I replace a regular white MacBook upper-case with multi-touch?

I have a late 2007 13" White MacBook with the "regular" 2-finger scrolling trackpad. Would it be possible to replace the upper-case, keyboard and all, with a case that includes the multi-touch trackpad from later models? Better yet, could I replace just the trackpad? I have seen videos of this having been done, but no one explaining how they did it.

5 Answers

Multitouch Macs, iPods, iPhones, iPads all have a Broadcom chip to enable the feature. Your mac lacks this hardware and can only recognize two finger scrolling.

There are 3 different types of trackpads out there:

Regular trackpad (non Multi-Touch) which does offer two finger scrolling

Multi-Touch Trackpad - came with MBA and Early 2008 MBPs

Glass Multi-Touch Trackpad - came with Oct 2008 MBs and MBPs

It seems the functionality of the Glass and the non Glass multi-touch are similar enough that they can both detect 4-finger gestures. I don't believe it's possible for the regular trackpads to do anything but what they already do.

Well, if your MacBook already features two-finger scroll, horizontal scrolling, zooming, and secondary (right) clicking via its Trackpad, it should be enough.

Here is a guide to modified kext that would get the other gestures workin:

No you can not do any or all of the things mentioned in your question. Even if you could modify your trackpad with a newer versions trackpad, to do those things, the firmware of your system wouldn't know how to handle the request or instructions from the new piece of hardware.

I have a late 2007 white macbook and i installed the trackpad from a 2008 macbook pro and its fully functional. It looks stupid cause my trackpad is silver but the button and everything else is white but i get all the gestures in lion.

installing the upper case won't work and it would be too much work. the trackpad is all you would need and with some patience would probably take you a half hour. you don't need to disasseble the laptop either, just take out the battery, lightly heat the old trackpad to soften the tape and push it out from the underside. once its out pop the mbp trackpad in and connect the cables. one cable doesn't get connected but don't fret, multitouch still works.

I just completed this modification by ordering the MacBook Pro 2008 upper case with a broken keyboard but working trackpad off eBay for $15 after shipping.

I would like to reiterate that this takes quite a deal of patience and heat also, as the only thing holding the trackpad to the upper case is a LOT of glue. Most of the glue is on the left and right sides, and these areas require not only quite a deal of heat, but also a long flat and sturdy pry tool that won't melt with heat. Some knives are too flimsy for prying, and might cut into either the touchpad or the casing that the board is connected to.

I would say you could possibly do this swap, after first checking a few things. 1. Does your current keyboard have the apple logo on the command button? 2. Does your current trackpad have different connectors than the new 2008 MacBook Pro trackpad? If yes to either, you should use a newer MacBook upper body along with the swap. According to iFixit, these upper cases should be identical (at least for the electrical and physical connections to the rest of the MacBook).

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